The Shifter // Colby Brock

~ Part 22 ~

"What were you two ladies talking about?" Jake asked noisily more to his girlfriend than me. She sent me a little look of questioning, as if she was asking for my advice.

"None of your business, Jake. Girl stuff." I replied to make it more normal. Tori was still here after all, still in the same spot on my chair next to Aaron. She looked fairly happy to be part of our new group. She'd never know anything for a while yet, though. I lowered my voice as much as I possibly could and leaned my head back to whisper in Colby's ear. "I need to talk to you later." I hoped none of the others had heard it, it'd just make my life easier. Colby just nodded and wrapped an arm around my waist.

"I thought I heard a car pull up, who was that?" Tori asked me specifically as she shuffled in her seat a little bit. Why's she uncomfortable? Have the guys said something stupid already?

"Just my friend. She had to talk to me about something and Tara came outside to give her advice on it. Again, girl stuff." I gave Aaron's possibly new girlfriend an apologetic smile that I couldn't tell her more. She seemed to accept my excuse and look back at Katrina, silently telling her to keep talking. I glanced up at Colby and smiled at him sadly.

"What's up?" He asked quietly, seeing through my attempted ruse. He kept his eyes on me despite mine turning away from him.

"Just... nothing I can talk about right now." I sighed and thought about how Colby and I would always have to go back to that mountain place to talk privately now. We used to have my apartment but since I turned into a vampire, I'm no longer allowed inside. "Actually, lets go somewhere." I grabbed his hand and he followed me without question. The guys gave us a strange look but didn't ask as we left the room and immediately sped away. I dragged Colby all the way to my old apartment, perching on the edge of the balcony where he'd be if I needed him to watch over me.

"What are we doing here?" He whispered, looking at the new girl already moved in. She was young, about eighteen, with long blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes that reminded me of Colby's. She was quite typical looking, everything from her makeup to her shoes.

"This used to be our safe place, where no one but you and I, and humans obviously, could enter but now, it's someone else's. Our home is the mansion, which is fine but... we can't have private conversations anymore." I turned my head to look at his face, which was extremely close to mine. "I want somewhere only we know, that's safe and hidden from everyone else. Even the clan." Colby's eyes were burning into mine and I had a hard time focusing on what we were talking about.

"I think... I know a place."